No one likes to be harassed about their grammar, but you will be judged by your misuse of it. There is no other forum in which you'll be so severely punished as the internet. This, however, should be secondary to the fact that you are hindering the effectiveness of your own communication. Have a look at the below guide, put together by copyblogger, which details 15 of the commonest grammatical errors and explains how to get it right!
'To put your foot in your mouth' means saying something, often stupid, that offends, upsets or embarrasses somebody. In most cases, you should also be embarrassed yourself. A very passionate young man addresses several such language-related, foot-in-mouth moments quite humorously in the following Youtube video. Homonyms or: how not to use a spellchecker21/11/2012
Example I - Luke's plan for the evening
Me and Hannah are going to a bar. OR Hannah and I are going to a bar. In this example, the second statement is correct. Confusion often stems from the inclusion of more than one person. Luke would never say, for example, "me is/am going to a bar". Although, that probably depends on how much he's had to drink already. The easiest way to remember this structure is to try saying the sentence without the other person/animal/thing. If the result is incorrect or strange-sounding, as above, then you should be using 'I' rather than 'me'. It's also worth remembering, as a matter of politeness if you like, that the other person/animal/thing should always come first. Don't be an egoist! Say, "Hannah and I" not, "I/me and Hannah". Example II - A knock at the door A: Who is it? B: It's me! OR B: It is I! In this situation, as strange as it sounds, the latter answer is correct. The verb to be is not acting upon an object, rather, it is expressing a state of being. So, the subjective pronoun 'I' is grammatically correct. Most native speakers, however, use the idiomatic expression 'it's me'. This is acceptable in everyday speech but using it in a formal context may result in a few furrowed brows. Should someone telephone you at work and ask for you personally, e.g. "I'd like to speak to Russell Sprout, please", it would be wiser to answer with, "this is he" - or, "this is she" if you are female. To avoid all confusion you could simply say, "this is Russell Sprout speaking". Example III - Misbehaving children Mother: Which of you little devils broke my vase? Son (pointing at his sister): It was her! OR Son (pointing at his sister): It was she! The reasoning in this example is much the same as Example II. The full sentence would be: It was she who broke your vase.
They're, there, and their29/10/2012
They're (contraction)
Let's start easy. 'They're' is a contraction of 'they are'. If you expand 'they're' to 'they are' and your sentence doesn't make sense, you are using the wrong version! There (adverb) The opposite of here! For example, I left my bike there. A handy hint for 'there': it contains the word 'here', which describes a place. If you're not talking about a place, consider using one of the versions. There can also be used with the verb 'to be' to indicate the existence of something or mention it for the first time, e.g. There's (there is: existence of) a bear in there (place/location). Their (third person plural possessive adjective) Their books, their children, their house. This version indicates possession. It also happens to contain the word 'heir'. An heir receives something when someone else dies. Both have something to do with ownership. Their son is their heir and inherits their house. If you're not writing about belongings, consider one of the other two versions. Think you've got it? Test your 'they're, there, their' skills here! Your and you're26/10/2012 The possessive determiner 'your' and the contraction of 'you are', 'you're', have vastly different meanings. Don't run the risk of being misunderstood in written communications by using 'your' when 'you're' is required. Consider the example below. Should you wish to hone your English skills on this subject, you're advised to head to this webpage: How to use you're and your.
Punctuation saves lives!25/10/2012 The correct use of commas in English is a talent which evades even the most conscientious native speakers. Consider the example below, in which a vastly different meaning is implied by the lack of - or employment of - a comma. The first sentence, "let's eat grandma", suggests that the main course for dinner is, in fact, the speaker's and listener's grandmother!
The second suggests that both the speaker and his/her grandmother should sit down to dinner - possibly for a delicious roast lamb with mint sauce. To avoid serving up your grandmother for supper, brush up on your comma usage skills here. |